Too Close To Home
by Anotherjaneway
Summary: The gang at Station 51 enjoy Roy's discomforture over his superstition about DeSoto family vacations always getting cancelled. The gang gets sucked into another of Chet Kelly's half hazard schemes by getting talked into buying a racehorse.


This is a text version of the original still airing imaged, music soundtracked story.

Emergency Theater Live, Special Episode B

Special Episode B- Too Close To Home

Short summary-  
B. Too Close To Home- EmergencyTheaterLive Special 2004 The gang at Station 51 enjoy Roy's discomforture over his superstition about DeSoto family vacations always getting cancelled. The gang gets sucked into another of Chet Kelly's half hazard schemes by getting talked into buying a racehorse.

****WARNING**** The long summary to come is very story spoiling and will take away plot surprises if you read it now before reading the longer story below it.

Decide now if you want to read this episode's detailed summary before doing so.

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Long Summary-  
Roy and Johnny cut loose during a really good handball game. Gage teases Roy about making vacation plans again much to DeSoto's chagrin.  
Chet Kelly shares a brainstorm about Station 51 collectively buying a race horse and running her on the circuit to earn and split all the winnings.  
Everybody signs the contract, except Roy. Morton's teased by Kel when he shows up in a treatment room, paramedic treated for a trip and fall following a slip on a banana peel. Brackett orchestrates a nurse's revenge for Morton's earlier horrid bedside manner against her. Station 51 responds to a riot at the sports stadium arena. They meet Vince, in the thick of his element, arresting thugs. They treat a thrown cop, and a handcuffed gang leader, who starts to choke, with a flail chest. Dixie discusses her day with Roy and Johnny over coffee and then surprises them on a tour to go see a current favorite patient of hers, Dr. Morton. Joe Early expresses a frank opinion about the racehorse deal, deflating Johnny's enthusiasm.  
While leaving Rampart, they hear a disturbance in a hospital room and go investigating a loud noise. They find themselves trapped with a partially conscious Morton, post surgical, following an ankle fracture repair. They are spared Mike's usual scathes when sedation proves its worth moments later. Squad 51 responds to a man down at a ranch and soon realize that it's at Chet's sister's address. Their worries prove well founded when Chet is located, bleeding badly on a shattered chicken coup following a horse toss.  
They're about to treat him when their newly purchased race horse, crazed from fresh bee stings, charges them. All the medical gear, including the biophone, is trampled when Roy and Johnny choose to log roll Chet safely away from her under the fence. Chet is found in deep shock afterwards.  
He's oxygen support ventilated by the engine crew until an I.V., and a hemostat can be retrieve tricked from under the horse's hooves with a fire extinguisher.  
Joe Early and Dixie marvel at Chet's amazing recovery. At the station, shift change paramedics trade what-I've-wrecked-on-my-shift stories and bow their helmets to Roy and Gage's racehorse-gone-mad call for the highest damage total. Roy is teased about vacation planning again over lunch just as the tones go off for a shed fire.. at DeSoto's own house address. Cap lets Roy question the crowd and Vince about his kids as the garden shed starts to be hosed out. A neighbor's child, admitting to a sleepover, confesses that one of Roy's kids had played with matches, in the house. An errant spark ignites the house through the water heater. Roy, panicking, learns that his daughter is in the house from Joanne, his wife who faints soon after arriving home by car. He gets by all firefighters and into the house without his scba tank. Gage mounts a fast search for both daughter and his partner with an air bottle but only finds a dead kitten in the kitchen. He is forced to crawl on his hands and knees while looking for Roy due to thickening smoke. Roy's found unconscious from a blow to the head and is fireman carried out of the house by Johnny. Returning, he finds Jesse, Roy's daughter, in a closet and gets her out by sharing his air mask. A shot of epinephrine revives Roy from a nonbreathing state minutes later, and Gage finds his hands full with a confused combative partner for several seconds until he fully wakes up. The gang laughs when Johnny delivers a funny medical report to Rampart about the good positive change after he suffers a fit of high spirits.

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Title: Too Close to Home

Author: Anotherjaneway (Patti Keiper)

Contact:

Summary: The gang at Station 51 enjoy Roy's discomforture over planning for a vacation before rotten luck snuffs out those plans once again. Chet is up to a money making scheme and convinces the gang to get in on purchasing a racehorse.

Too Close to Home

The ball smashed into the far wall with blazing force and riccochetted back to hit John hard, in the ribs. He looked skyward. "Oh no! It was good! it was good... You win the match, Roy.."

Roy jogged across the floor and retrieved the racquetball, pulling a sweaty terry cloth band off of his forehead to scratch an itch. "Are you sure you don't want to go for a rematch?"

"I'm POSITIVE!" John said as he wiped his streaming face. "Roy, you've got an edge over me here, you realize? After all, you were THE Ojai College All State Champ in Racquetball for three consecutive years. No, I don't want another game. I'm giving up while I still have some dignity left."

Roy DeSoto laughed, "Yeah, I guess I haven't lost the knack yet."

"I'll say you haven't.." John's mouth twisted into a mischievious smirk. On the way off the court, he shoved forcefully through the double doors off the court leaving Roy to clumsily block their rebound. He chuckled at Roy's cry of muffled surprise.

"Ooff! Almost got me but not quite good enough, buddy. Try harder next time..Anyway...." Roy said, toweling off, "Do you want to play again next week?"

John arched both eyebrows. "What?! And get humiliated again?! Oh yeah, I really love getting badly beaten everytime I come to the club. I pay good money for membership, just like you do. So I should enjoy the emotional benefits too, like winning...." he hinted.

Roy slung his towel over his shoulders. "Quit being such a sore loser, Johnny."

"Listen, Roy,..I've been coming here for the better part of ...what? Three months? And I've never even come close to winning a racquet ball game over you. It gets kind of degrading after a while.."

"Now I wouldn't say that.." Roy reasoned once they were in the locker room, They peeled off white T-polos and shorts and grabbed shampoo bottles and more pastel towels from a stack set aside on a rack. "How about in swimming? You finish your twenty four laps in nothing flat and plow me under doing it, too."

"Yeah.." John said, reflecting back on a more gentler note, "I guess you're right."

"There you go, Johnny Gage. You DO excel in something better than I do.." Roy smiled. He good naturedly took a towel crack to the back of his head.  
"Let's go shower up or we'll be late for work."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Fifteen minutes later, the two came out of the club and headed for Gage's jeep. John suddenly laughed to himself as he shut the car's door.

"What's so funny?" Roy grinned.

"I head you and Joanne are finally cutting loose for a while and are going an escape to the San Bernadino mountains next month."

"SHhhhhh! Not so loud!" Roy exclaimed, as John backed them out of their parking space, "You remember what happened last year. The subpump failed and flooded the basement. The year before that it was the dog, going into labor two minutes after we finish packing the car. We missed our flight, as you recall. Please,.. Keep quiet on this thing until after I'm gone. I don't want anything to jinx us and have something go wrong again."

"Well, you know.. They say bad luck comes in threes.  
and you're only on your second year for cancelled vacations.." John grinned evilly.

Roy shot him a look that could kill.

John glanced back at the road, "Easy! Ok., man. Don't get so worked up about it. Nothing will happen. All right, no more. I won't even mention or THINK about your leaving on "...he mouthed the word vacation, "..again."

Satisfied, Roy concentrated on combing his hair.

But just as they pulled into the back lot of the Station, a sudden thought entered his head. "Hey, Roy..?"

"Yeah?"

John bent close in a stage whisper. "Where are you stashing the kids?"

Roy glared at him in utter disbelief. He rolled his eyes heavenward.

-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=

In the locker room, the gang was engaged in their usual prying into yet another one of Chet Kelly's brainstorms while they got into their uniforms.

"No, really, Cap." Chet exclaimed. "This is a really good deal. I just know it is. Listen..." he gestured pointedly.

"That does it.." Marco said, closing his locker door with a slam, "I have another one of those feelings again, guys." Marco moaned, "Look out! guard your pocketbooks with your lives!"

The gang erupted in laughs.

"Very funny, Lopez.." Chet frowned, "Maybe you should listen to this, too."

Marco cut Chet off, "Uh uh. No way." He gestured to the guys for support. The guys chimed in. The room chorused negatives.  
"You got to be kidding, Chet.."  
"Even my mother knows better than to play one of your deals." Mike Stoker piped up.  
"Nope, not a chance.." Marco agreed.  
Cap remained silent.

"Please?!.. Guys.. " Chet said over the din. "Just listen for two seconds. What harm can come for just listening to a guy, huh? Do I have a say?"

There followed a long silence. Cap's eyes met each of his men's eyes in turn. "Guys,.. how about it?" he toned evenly. He encountered no opposition so he took a deep breath and gave a small nod. "Go for it Kelly.."

Chet hooted and, rubbing his hands together, flashed an open for business grin. "Ooo! You're gonna love this this deal!"

Someone growled, "All right.. Spill it, Chet.."

Chet said, "I'm coming to it. I'm coming to it..Just hang on.. Geez..Well, you're not going to believe this but I have a friend who's uncle is interested in buying Conquistador Cielo's first filly, Cielo Madre. Remember her?"

All heads shook no.

"The only filly to ever win a Preakness Stakes by fifteen lengths!"

"What about the Preakness Stakes?" A voice interrupted.

Chet broke off his idea pitching as Roy and Johnnie walked through the door. "Oh, hi, Gage, DeSoto...." Chet said, " As I was saying before,, this uncle is.."

"Get on with it!" Mike prompted. His stomach growled audibly.

"Yeah,.." Marco agreed, "I'm getting hungry for breakfast. And it's your turn to cook, Kelly.."

"O.K., you two turkeys, pipe down. I'm getting there. Just.. just hold your pants on.."

Marco shot a glance downward and grabbed his suspenders as if they had suddenly gave way.. Everyone cracked up.

Even Chet laughed, in spite of himself. Much encouraged, he went on, "I got a phone call a few days ago and he asked if I wanted to invest in Cielo. I said, Sure.. after an hour's research on her history. Did you know she breezed the mile and three quarters in just under 1:52 flat?  
Anyway.. I told Unc that maybe you guys'd be interested in investing with me in the deal and to hold off the purchase til this afternoon after I gotten an answer from you all. Are you in?"

Silence.

"Fellas!" Chet agonized..

"Well,.." Roy broke the silence, "Wait a minute there, Chet...ah, are you absolutely certain that this filly is real and legit?"

Chet beamed and let loose a kick at his locker's door. It swung open smoothly to reveal a sleek, red horse in racing gear hung in a frame propped up on Kelly's shelf. The gang crowded round.

John had been quiet throughout the entire exchange. Now, he eyed the photograph critically.  
"What about her pedigree?"

"Yeah.." the guys agreed.

Chet smiled cooly and pulled out a bundle of papers. "Here you go.." he said, handing out xerox copies of it to eager hands. "...And here's the contract of agreement I've brought for scrutiny. You fellas can uh,, co-sign with me if you want to.."

Roy cleared his throat loudly and got everyone's attention. "Chet, uh.. Where's this filly going to stay? I mean, it costs a lot of money to feed and train a thoroughbred. You'll need a good stable, trailer to haul her, a vet, a farrier.. Who's going to cover those costs?"

"No problem, Roy, my man. My sister's got a ranch in Rock Creek Canyon. Remember? And her hired hand is a retired veterinary and an honored race horse trainer who'll foot the bill for feed and board until Cielo's first purses roll in.."

"Hey. hey.." Marco said, "Sounds like the first real deal I've heard yet from you Chet. Sounds like a golden opportunity, Roy..I'm in!" He snatched the contract away from Chet and signed it with a flourish with the pen Kelly gave him. "If I strike it rich, maybe I can take mamma to Hawaii.."

"Rich?"  
"Sounds good to me.."  
"O.k."  
"Oh boy!" The room was quickly filled with the sounds of "me too's" and pen scribbling. Roy was the last to get the contract. He waited, pen over paper over the signature line. "How much money Chet, did you just con out of these guys just now? Can you tell me that?"

Chet looked distinctly uncomfortable. He answered in a meek tone, "Ah..only *cough* ...$425 dollars a piece. But fellas--!" When they started to growl.

Roy through up his hands, "That's precisely my point. There's always a deposit first.. This is TOO easy guys. Think about it. Do people really buy racehorses everyday of the week? I think you guys got suckered, no offense, Chet, on this deal." Roy turned, dropping the pen without signing.

John gripped his arm, "Just wait a minute.. you mean you aren't going to do this. It's a sweet deal, Roy."

Roy sighed an incredulous sigh. "If you've never even seen the filly yourself, how do you know what her temperment is like, huh? Do you know how she'll react on the track after being coached by strange people..?" He pointed to Chet..

"Oh. Ha. ha." Kelly protested.

Roy went on.."Also, that Preakness she was entered in was a fluke. Three of the favorites were scratched for influenza and the rest of the field was a bunch of green colts. Those odds weren't all that hard to beat. And those fast workout times really don't tell us much about her ability because the element of competition with a full sized field is something Cielo Madre's never faced!"

Roy's words fell on deaf ears.. The whole gang was clustered around Chet Kelly as he proudly displayed the computer statistics on his filly and her workout times. Roy threw up his hands in the air and finished changing.

John tapped Chet on the shoulder, "Hey Chet? When does the deal get underway?"

Chet's eyes gleamed.. "Today.. After my sister buys her, we'll trailer her off to the ranch where the trainer will work her out. This afternoon! Man, I can hardly wait to ease myself onto that saddle! She'll be like a dream, I'm sure.."

"Hey" Marco crowed, "That's right. It's your day off today..."

Chet was very pleased with himself. "Yep. Moreno from 36's has to make up some hours so he's covering for me."

John regarded Chet thoughtfully, "Hey, Kelly. Have you ever ridden a racing thoroughbred before?"

Chet turned to him collecting checks and contracts from the gang. "Hmm? Oh, my sister Marj and me grew up on horses. I've ridden ever since I was a kid. Well, gotta run or I'll miss Unc at the auction! I'll call ya all after the first workout..!"

"See ya, man.." John waved.

Chet breezed for the parking lot.

The rest filed into the kitchen where 36's Joachim Moreno had already spread out eggs, bacon and toast.

Mike Stoker said, "This is our lucky day.. Not only do we get a chance to get rich on a racehorse, we don't have to suffer Chet Kelly's cooking.."

John chuckled, "Don't say that in front of Kelly when he's here or we'll die for sure next time from his OVER burning food. I'm almost getting used to his sushi slash bacon.."

All the guys laughed.

John followed Marco, setting plates at the table and silverware. He handed Roy his blue and white paisley mug of coffee. "You don't know what you are missing Roy.." and he stuffed a whole muffin into his mouth, sitting down.

Under his breath, Roy replied as he studied the newspaper,  
"Oh, yes I do."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

At Rampart General, in Treatment Room Three, a man sat impatiently on a gurney. A prim nurse adjusted the flow of his IV's flow rate and marked it in her chart. He watched her dispassionately. At last, he grumbled, "Is Brackett coming soon? I know he's on today.."

The nurse blinked, "I suppose he knows about you and is on his way to see you right now, Ron.."

"Mike!" he snapped and immediately regretted the action. "Oww!" He slumped back onto the table seriously considering biting his own left foot off at the ankle. The RN deftly slipped up the side rail on the bed as he reeled about. "What did you do that for? I'm not going to fall out." he frowned.

"That's what they all say..." she burbled sweetly and adjusted his man slapped at her hand. She stepped back, shakened.

Finally, Brackett really did open the ready door. He was met with a complete surprise. He did a double take folding his arms across his elbows in amusement. The crabby man he had heard bellowing out in the hall, was Dr. Morton..! "Well. well. well... Look at this.." he chided sympathetically. He took in Mike's angry expression and one very sore, air splinted ankle. "What has fate brought your way today, Mike?" he delivered casually.

"Don't ask, Kelly. I don't want to talk about it." Morton grumbled, shifting uncomfortably on the bed.

Brackett simply grinned, "Fine. I'll get your story from her. Please read the run sheet to me, Nurse."

"Yessir.. Apparently, doctor,.. the young patient--"

"Young patient? Young patient! Let me inform you, Nurse, Nurse.." he snapped his fingers irritably at her, "Your name!" Morton said gruffly.

Startled, the RN blurted out, "Evans!.. Carol Evans.."

"Evans." Morton snapped, "I inform you now , since you are new to this floor and this hospital. I am on the resident staff in this department and I expect to be called by my full name DR. Morton at all times if ..you..don't...mind.." he said dangerously.

"Yessir! I...I mean, doctor..uh...?"

"Morton!" he boomed.

"Dr. Morton!" She stifled sudden tears.

Finishing up the BP reading he was getting on Mike, Brackett frowned when he saw the tears on his nurse's face. He had missed something truly harsh he guessed. "Mike, lie down."But it wasn't hard to figure out just what had occurred while his ears had been blocked by his stethoscope.

"What?" the young black doctor said, still fuming.."But I have to tell this newbie nurse that.."

"Mike.. For all practical purposes, she outranks you, for you ARE a patient now. And as your acting physician, I ORDER you to be quiet and stop harrassing Miss Carol." he said, pushing his voice louder than Mike's, "You'll aggravate your condition..! Already, your BP's a little high.." he shook himself, "Nurse, clean out that cut on his forehead, will you please?"

"With pleasure, doctor.." she said vehemently and she bustled some peroxide into a sterile basin.

Dr. Morton glared at Brackett but he complied and laid himself flat and off of his elbows. He let out his breath in a hiss. "I'm sorry, Kel. I really don't need to be here. Just get me a bandaid and some ice and I'll be just f-- Owwww!!" Mike swatted at the cotton dabbing his head.

"Ah, ah ah.." Brackett warned, waggling a finger.

Morton snorted. He sat on his hands dutifully.

"Now..." Brackett began, thoroughly amused at Morton's sour social mode. He began by beginning an assessment, checking out his injured co-worker's bruised body by probing belly and tapping on his ribcage for percussion sounds. "Tell me what happened, Miss Evans.. Since our patient would rather not disclose any information at this time. Tell me what Mr. Morton told you before he got surly."

"That's Doctor Morton.. Not Mr. Mort--"

Kel silenced Mike with a gesture and a challenging look that bordered on serious professional discipline. "Go ahead, nurse."

Confident under Brackett's protection, she relayed the details."Well, about an hour ago, the paramedics brought in the PATIENT with a probable left fractured ankle due to a fall. He was found unconscious with no indication of spinal or neck injury. He promptly regained consciousness with a sternal rub and complained of soreness to his head as well as that ankle. Patient remarked also that he had fallen on his b--"

"Wait just a damned minute here..!" Morton interrupted, sitting up. Brackett pushed him down again with a practiced hand, not caring about the pain Morton received from the jarring.

"Go on, please.." he said to Evans.

"On his pos-ter-ior, sir. There were no apparent injuries I could see other than the bruising on those three areas. He was in considerable discomfort in that last region but his vitals are stable.. and intact.. I checked." she said acidly.

"You better mean, blood pressure, lady!" Morton spat.

"Of course, mister. What else would I mean?" she said levelly.

Mike reddened, caught off guard. Brackett choked down a laugh, "ahh,,from what distance did he fall?" He pretended to be busy writing in his chart.

"According to the paramedics.., Mr. Morton slipped on a peel--"

"Newspaper!!"

"..BANANA peel and fell down eleven stairs, about nine feet, onto a bark path. The stairs themselves were wooden, Doctor. He refused a pain hypo at the scene."

"Thank you, nurse. You may go."Brackett said.

"Anytime, sir." she fairly fled out of the room, wiping away smeared mascara and some of her tears.

Soon, the two doctors were alone.

Morton propped himself up on an elbow, highly miffed. "Did ya have to do that?" he asked of his colleague.

"Of course..!" Brackett yelled back. "You were acting like one of those "gomers" you hate so much."

Morton's eyebrows retreated into his hairline in surprise. His anger melted away. "I was? Hmmm.. "G-et....O-ut...of M-y E-mergency..R-oom; GOMER."  
Morton reflected.. "Nice acronym.. Sorry... I guess I was a bit of a gomer to her."

"Umm hmmm." Kel grunted in affirmation, holding Morton's splinted foot in his hands. He studied the blood oozing there. He was still visibly charged about Morton's unprofessionalism and rudeness.

Morton watched him and said at last, "You know.. I'm really sorry I treated her like that. I..just don't like pain, nor being helpless like this at my own work place."

Brackett grunted again, shining his pen light into Mike's eyes. "Your pupils are equal and reactive. Guess that was just plain natural surliness. Instead of cranial complications, DOCTOR."

Morton actually looked cowed.

"Follow my finger.." And Kel watched how Mike's eyes tracked the pattern he drew into the air. "Good."

He turned his attention back to the clear plastic splinted ankle. Gently, he tested its range of motion.  
Mike looked away, trying not to flinch.

Brackett arched an eyebrow, "You're sure you don't want a pain med? You don't have a concussion from what I see. The medics were right about that."

This brought a stormy battering of protest from the prone man, he bolted upright, brandishing a finger in Kel's face about to let loose some blistering thoughts.

Kel folded his arms levelly."I'm ordering one.. You're lips and gums are already two shades lighter than they were five seconds ago."

Morton sputtered on, but stifled himself from saying any true words.

Brackett moved to the phone and made a call. A second later, the double doors parted, revealing Nurse Evans, brandishing a hypo and a cotton wad for viewing. "Into the upper gluteus maximus Nurse, if you wouldn't mind.." Kelly said, smiling at her and winking.

Morton choked, "Kel, you're not serious.. I'm one solid hematoma down there."

Brackett made for the door coolly with his chart, not looking nor answering back.

"Kel, wait! No.." Morton said, "You know damned well I can get that med through my IV line. Please.. I'll be more polite! I promise.. Kel, don't go! Kel!! OWW!!!!"

And the swinging doors snapped out the sound as Brackett left the room. Dixie McCall turned toward the blood curdling scream curiously, as Brackett handed her the chart, "Just desserts.." he remarked, and left.

Dix puzzled over that comment a moment until she read the name on the face sheet. It took her only moments to put two and two together as it was she who handed Evans some tissue just a bit earlier as she emerged from that treatment room. It took five minutes for Dixie to stop laughing and compose herself enough to return to her head nurse desk station.

-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Dispatch clicked a two toned alarm for station 51. It brought everyone on the run into the garage.  
##Station 51. Truck 127, Battalion 14, Unknown type rescue. At the Everest Stadium Complex. 4000 Kenwood Boulevard Cross street, Marquette. 4000 Kenwood Blvd. /c/ Marquette. Manager requests assistance to the second level tiers grandstand, east side. Time out 08:47.##

Helmets and jackets pulled on as Cap acknowledged their running status, "Station 51, 10-4, KMG 365."

Moments later, the squad rolled down the driveway closely followed by the engine. Their reds activated and air horns blasts cleared the highway of traffic. They sped towards their destination....

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TITLE SEQUENCE

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Brakes screeched to a halt before a high tech modern building. A very hassled man in an orange shirt and tie ran outside to meet them.

"What's the problem here?" Cap said as he stepped out of the cab of the engine, "Is there a gas leak?"

"No sir, ..ah, nothing like that. I'm one of the janitors. You people are going to have to come with me and see for yourselves. The police are rather busy right now...."

Everyone followed with their gear. Roy and John with their O2, Defib, IV, Splint and Trauma boxes. They kept on their overcoats to save time. Roy looked at John with a what's this gesture.  
Cap shrugged, mulling over the mystery while he adjusted his walkie talkie to a receiving sending mode with the engine's radio. No one knew what to expect.

John Gage was the first onto the second level deck when he hollered, "Look out!!"

He promptly kissed dirt.

A well aimed beer bottle shattered musically on the brick wall near his face. The glass caught him and he sat up, gloves over his face.. Pissed, John yelled aloud.."Ahhghh ahhh!"  
He sounded more disgusted to Roy than in pain. He ran to him. "Johnnie? Are you all right?" He crouched down, pulling Gage's hands away.. John's face was streaming red.. (Marco winced..) with stale Killians beer...!

"Agh!! *cough* " Johnnie shouted, thoroughly grossed out at the sour smell, "This has got to be the worst!" he sputtered.  
and he spit some of the foulness out of his mouth.

"What th--?" Cap scratched his head, looking about. Men and women were fighting in the stands while hoards of police officers tried to stop them in any way possible.  
he gestured and all of his men slapped down their face shields on their helmets as two more beer bottles, hit the wall near them.

Roy rocked back on his heels, visibly relieved. "Here.." he began "You'll need this.." he clapped down John's helmet shield. Gage grinned sardonically, "A little late wouldn't you say?"

A cry ripped the air..

A new voice shouted, "Watch out!!! Incoming!!"  
CRASHHH!! A vending machine narrowly missed flattening Mike Stoker, whose log roll out of the way was barely executed in time.

The owner of the voice mounted the grandstand stairs and observed all the firemen lying belly down, with their gloves over their necks, staring at the machine which had nearly landed on their engineer.  
He cleared his throat, chiding them..

It was Vince, with a handcuffed gang member.

Everybody clambered to their feet.

Vince chuckled, "Some war zone huh? Stick around boys. The fun is just beginning.." Vince dragged his charge behind him and stopped before Lopez. He rapped a knuckle on the plexiglass shield over Marco's face. "Wish I had one of those...."

Pputth! A rheumy glob of spittle caught Vince in the eye just then. He wiped it away with a glove, shooting an acid look at the spit's source. The Cuban suspect grinned dangerously and chewed his tobacco some more.

"He might be your first victim,, fellas!!" Vince exploded.  
He pushed the kid ahead of himself, none too gently.  
"Come on!! They disappeared noisily through the gateway.

Cap made a small noise in the back of his throat. "Why me?"

Vince's partner made the top stair. John and Roy approached him cautiously, widely avoiding another handcuffed thug in tow. "Blake.." John asked, "How did all this get started?" Roy could only gape at the melee around them.

"It appears one gang leader got insulted by a rival gang leader's girl. He slapped her. Her boyfriend then slapped the gang leader.. Then..." And he threw up his hands dramatically,.."The rest is history in the making! yes , folks. An instant all nighter for half the police force in LA county. Have fun!!"

He, too disappeared to the street but soon returned with fifty handcuffs minus the prisoner. The cop regarded the dumbstruck firemen wanely.."They all met here for a rumble,, to 'Even the score.' A pause.. "Hey, listen... We're having a hard time subduing this thing, Captain Stanley.." Blake admitted. "Do you have a suggestion on how to go about doing that? As you can see, physical restraint has no effect.."

A huge brute was pounding the face of another man to a pulp nearby. A county cop vaulted onto the aggressor's back, confident his action would distract the fighters.. Oh it did, all right. Both combatants hefted the hapless cop over their heads and heaved.

The young officer sailed over rows of seats to thunk hollowly on top of a closed concession stand. The sound of the impact could be heard even over the noise of the crowd riot below.

Roy winced openly and the two paramedics brought their gear over to the dazed rookie cop while Blake gave them some cover with a riot tear gas rifle and some mild threats to anyone who came near them.

Cap looked around and gathered recently interrupted bit his lip and made a decision, "Ah, Marco?"

"Cap?"

"How far would you say we are from the engine?"

"About 400 yards."

"Terrific.. That's a short enough distance. Do me a favor huh? Would you and Mike rig two inch and a half's and bring them up here? And turn on the refrigeration unit!"  
he shouted after his men's retreating backs.

Blake frowned, "What for?"

"Pest control."

Blake split a gut at that.

The nearby Batallion chief strode through the doors and calmly surveyed utter chaos. He radioed out.  
##LA, this is Chief Blachek. Dispatch three more additional fire units and send six ambulances to our location.. We're gonna need them.##

##This is L.A. 10-4, Battalion..##

A short distance away, Roy and John checked out the unfortunate police man they had just stokes rigged to the ground.

"Did you see how far that stinking offal threw me?! I'll tell ya.. NO ONE assaults a law enforcement officer and gets away with it..!"

The kid ripped out of his stokes straps and rose to his feet shakily, shedding shards and a BP cuff.  
He went for the grappling leaders. Roy and John dove, each grabbing for a leg and tackled the hot headed kid cop back to the ground.

Johnnie shouted as he struggled to hold his patient still, "Come on now! Do you really want to get MASSACRED? Just stay put and let us do our job." He readjusted his helmet out of his eyes. It slipped down again on the slick beer in Gage's hair. He finally gripped the whole thing in his hands and flung it off to Blake.

The zit faced kid rolled over painfully, facing his two paramedics. He gave way into a cute fit of temper.  
"Fine!! I'll stop! But just how do you suppose we'll stop them?"

Roy simply smiled and pointed toward the infield. "Just watch.."

Several teams of firefighters appeared in a ring around the riot. They spouted jets of cold ice water onto the crowds below. Whole gang clusters tumbled about like nine pins.

Vince's voice floated around the stadium PA system.  
"People! Listen up! " Marco's voice followed his words a second after with a translation in Spanish.  
"You're all under arrest! Put down your weapons and surrender to the police officer nearest you. Comply instantly, or get another free bath, compliments of the LA county fire department.."

Knives, chains and broken bottles dropped to the turf.  
Droves of cops herded the worst offenders via handcuffs to paddywagons peppering the infield.

John and Roy finished assessing the dazed rookie and began to gather up their gear. "Well outside of a few scrapes and contusions.. You're in pretty fair shape.." Roy said.

John added, "You should schedule an appointment with your family physician just to be on the safe side if you begin to feel shaky again, all right?"

The cop was sheepish. "Thanks, guys.. I'm sorry if I caused so much trouble." he said, wincing as Roy put a dressing onto a minor cut on his temple.

He stood as soon as Roy finished, offering his hand to John and Roy. They shook it, "Don't worry about it. Take it easy now, you hear?"

The young kid waved, heading down towards the field to help in the round up. "Right.."

Suddenly, a large woman broke away from her officer right behind the firemen. She lunged at another nearby rival who was also handcuffed and being led away. The force of the blow bowled the man over the rail of the tiers. Restrained,  
he failed to counterbalance and save himself from falling. He landed thirty feet down onto the astroturf below.

The woman was furious.."You gringo!! Come back here!!"  
she screeched at the fallen man. Four cops led the struggling Cuban away as John and Roy pelted down the steps to the field. Mike Stoker was right behind them.

John smelled blood but felt for a carotid. He looked up into the grandstand. "Cap! Get a backboard and some sandbags!. He's going to need a C-Collar!"

Marco yelled down to him. "I'll get the O2!"

Roy made sure the man had an open airway by pulling up his jaw carefully without moving anything else, neck or spine.  
Mike took over the hold.

John began to check for fractures at the man's head and worked his way down quickly.

The cop, who had been apprehending the gang member, frowned,  
"You mean he's still alive?" He didn't bother to conceal his racial distain at all.

"I'll just bet that spoiled your day..!" John spat with open sarcasm.  
Gage tried to get the leather coat off to expose a chest wound but the cuffs interfered. "Would you mind?? " he prompted to the hate filled cop.

The officer stiffened up "No way! This guy's the ring leader!"

Beneath the paramedics hands, the man heaved, choking on blood.  
His ragged breathing cut off abruptly. John placed a hand on his chest.

"Roy? He quit breathing..."  
John frantically set up a suction tube and turned it on, passing it over to his partner.

DeSoto took it, but soon, shook his head. He couldn't see anything in the way inside the man's mouth as he probed with the hissing tube, even with Mike helping him expose the area to light. "He must be obstructed deeper down, Johnnie."

"I got it..."  
Gage straddled the leader's legs but couldn't get a firm positioning to start a Heimlich attempt, because of the cuffed and hobble chained limbs in his way over the man's stomach. John looked up angrily at the cop who just watched him struggle. "Get over here! What's the matter with you?! These damned chains are in my way..! Do you want him to die?"

The gang leader's skin started to purple with hypoxia.

"He's not going anywhere, man!!" Roy shouted at the obstinent cop.

Running footsteps approached. "Release him!! Do it , officer!"  
It was Vince..

The other cop hesitated.

"NOW!!"

He didn't move.

Vince ripped the keys away from the officer's belt and freed the choking man's cuffs being careful not to jar him around.

Johnnie was able to clear the man's airway seconds after he was able to reach his abdomen. He forced out the obstruction with a few well placed thrusts and felt the blocked off lungs finally give way into a release of air moments later.

Roy's suction tube did the rest of the work, removing teeth and blood from the man's torn mouth and throat.

Marco arrived, running, with the O2 apparatus, handing off a demand valve mask to Stoker.

The man began to gasp once again. He drew in Mike's forced oxygen through the respirator well without much assisted positive pressure from Stoker. His face and hands began to pink up again. Roy and John sighed in relief. The crisis was over.

"That was too close, Vince.. He almost killed this man!"  
Roy exclaimed, pointing a finger at the prejudiced cop. But that was all he had time to say before the task at hand drew him to work quickly to preserve his patient's life.

Vince whirled into the face of the obstinent cop. "I'll deal with you later lieutenant!"

The lieutenant's jaw tightened. He said nothing. He turned and walked away.

Vince turned his back on him. "Need help?" he asked the two medics, his voice toned quietly as he kneeled beside them.

"Yeah.." Roy said, "Could you support his head? Mike can't do that ventilating him. We've got to roll him onto the backboard."

"Right."

He did so, and soon, the Station 51 crew had the unconscious man safely immobilized. Cap set up the biophone while Roy examined the man's pupils. John got a set of vitals and phoned it in to Rampart.  
##Rampart, this is Squad 51, do you read?##

----------------------------

At the substation, a red light began to flash. Dixie set aside her chart and entered the glass enclosed ready room. She acknowledged the call, hitting a toggle switch. "Unit calling in, please repeat.."

##Rampart, this is Squad 51. We have a male, approximately twenty four to twenty five years of age. He took a fall from the second tier of a stadium box. I'd say he fell about twenty eight feet onto the astroturf field. He's unconscious. He has multiple fractures of both arms and five ribs along his left side. Both limbs are profusing well.  
He had an airway obstruction. Now breathing on his own. Victim has been immobilized, C and lumbar spine, and is on 15 liters of O2. Vitals are: BP 68 over 42, respirations striderous and irregular at ten, assisted. Pulse is thready and weak at 140. Stand by for pupils..## He pointed at Roy who began to relay him the information.

"Standing by, 51." Dix replied.

walked in. "What do we have?"

"51's got a heavy trauma case. A man who fell about thirty feet onto an astroturf field at the Stadium. It doesn't sound good."

Brackett skimmed over Dixie's notes intently while Johnnie filled him in.

##Rampart.. The pupils are responsive but the right one is slightly dilated. There's also evidence of bleeding from both ears. Also, I have noticed a soft spongy region on his lateral left side. There is a wound but it is non penetrating. Rampart.. ventilating him is proving somewhat difficult due to mouth injuries. We've already suctioned around 400 cc's bright red blood and dental debris. Request permission to insert an esophogeal airway.##

"Go ahead on the airway, 51. I suspect a tension hemo-pneumothorax due to that flail chest on the left side. What kind of breath sounds do you note?" Brackett asked.

Roy listened to the man's breathing carefully with a stethoscope while John intubated the man. Roy picked up the phone and watched as Mike connected the demand valve to the airway in the man's throat. The bleeding there was slowing somewhat. Marco was getting little if anything into the suction reservoir now.  
##Rampart, the esophageal airway's in place. I hear bronchial rhonchi on the right side. Absent breath sounds on the left.##

"10-4 , 51. Start two large bore IVs, both 1000 cc Normal Saline and run wide open. Run in 500 cc's then continue TKO. Apply a five pound weight to the victim's left side and reevaluate breath sounds."

##10-4. Two large bore IV's 1000cc NS, One to 500 cc, then TKO.  
Applying an immobilizing sandbag now.## DeSoto reaffirmed.

Marco got a sandbag from the stokes and taped it right over the broken section of ribs on the man's chest. Roy checked out his lungs once more once it had been secured and smiled. He picked up the phone.  
##Rampart, breath sounds are now present on the left side. Victim's color is improving.##

Brackett sighed visibly. Dixie echoed.

John had finished starting the IV's and handed them up to a pair of waiting hands.

"10-4, 51. Uh..Draw a red top for a type and cross. Continue to assist ventilating and transport as soon as possible. Keep your patient's head elevated for that possible skull fracture and splint any additional dislocation breaks you find."  
Kelly said. "Give me another set of vitals and send me a strip once you're en route."

"Ten four, Rampart..Our ETA's twenty minutes.." Roy concluded.

Vince watched all of this in amazement. "That trick with the sandbag.." he said to Cap. "How did that help him? I mean,  
who'd put a weight on someone's chest with broken ribs and all?"

Marco stood after helping load up the gang member onto the ambulance attendant's gurney and covering him up.  
"The guy couldn't breathe well because most of the ribs on that side were caved in. Every time he breathed out, that area would push in and vice versa when he inhaled. His lung couldn't fill easier because of the lack of pressure inside. The sandbag splints the flail section even with the rest of his ribcage, so that lung can expand normally again."

"Huh." Vince reflected, "I learned something new today.."

Ambulance attendants bundled the man, Mike with respirator,  
backboard and all into their rig which they had backed into the infield. They secured the stretcher straps while John took over for Mike and maintained the O2 vents with an Ambu bag while they switched tanks to the ambulance's oxygen supply. Mike exited the ambulance.  
Roy set the bi-phone and the drug box and defibrillator next to John afterwards and closed the doors. The second attendant remained inside. Finally, he handed off the squad's O2 apparatus back to Cap.  
who hustled Marco to run it on ahead to put it away for Roy's follow along trip behind the ambulance.

"Think he'll make it?" Vince asked Roy.

"He'll have a tough time in surgery with all of those fractures.  
But, hey,, he's a gang leader. You can't be weak willed to do that. I think he'll make it.." Roy slapped on the back doors,  
sending the ambulance off to speed its way to Rampart through the main gate leading to the outer streets.

Vince watched it diminish. Cap ambled up next to him.  
"Yishhh.. What a mess.."

Vince agreed, "You're telling me.. That odd officer boy's gonna face attempted murder one, right behind that gang's woman."  
he promised. He drew out his handcuffs to go get the cop who hated too much.

Cap drew out his walkie talkie and nodded sadly.  
"L.A., this is engine 51. All units out hour.."

##10 -4, 51.## ( Spap.)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  
The emergency reception desk was quiet for the middle of the day.  
John and Roy had cleaned up and they cradled their supplies while nursing coffee cups. Dixie McCall refilled all of their mugs to the very brim.

"Whoa!" Johnnie said, almost upsetting his loaded box, holding up a hand, "Sounds like you're having just as trying day as we are."  
he laughed, his mouth crooking up on one side.

Roy smiled tightly, "We had a rookie lieutenant who wouldn't uncuff our choking victim. He almost coded right there on us."

"Really..?" Dix said, horrified. "How so?"

"Johnnie here couldn't get good access to clear the obstruction because of all the man's hobbling body chains. That officer actually left him to turn blue rather than help us."

Dix sighed deeply. "Sounds heavy. Are they going to press charges?"

"Oh, yeah,," Gage said, "And I'm first to their witness stand by choice,  
believe me. It's scum like that I can't stand. And he's an officer in the force for Pete's sake. He made our gang leader victim seem like a saint by comparison."

She nodded appreciatively, "Yeah.. it seems like we BOTH had troubles with authority figures this morning."

John blinked, "Authori-- ? Who'd you tangle with?"

"A doctor..."

"Brackett?" John snorted.

"No..no no.. Nothing like what you're thinking, or with him."  
She thrust her jaw out with thoughtful amusement. "Maybe you fellas should see for yourselves.."

"See what?" Roy wondered.

Dixie merely crooked a finger, motioning for them to follow her to....

"Treatment room three?" John exclaimed.

Dixie nodded, "Uh huh. Though you'd better leave your coffee cups out here, or he's bound to tear your throats out getting to it."

"Oh?" Roy toned, up a scale. They placed their boxes on the floor and coffee cups in a drinking fountain alcove. "I wonder who?"

"SHhh!" Dix turned, a finger to her lips. "You'll wake him."

They all peered inside.

The room was slightly darkened and a familiar form snored on the table. One foot was in an exterior fixation frame, all wrapped up in fresh, wet dressings.

"Morton!" John gasped, grinning from ear to ear.

Dix nodded knowingly, "Right from surgery.."

Two orderlies arose in their chairs in the back of the room looking sleepy and concerned. Dix waved them back reassuring them. "It's just us, guys.. Checking in on Mr.  
Congeniality.. Has he stirred yet?"

Two heads jerked side to side.

"Oh. See ya.." she burbled, and closed the door.

Roy and John barraded her with questions as they retrieved coffee and supplies..

"Hold on guys. First things first. Mike had a little accident this morning on the way to work. Slipped on a banana peel."

"What?" John laughed.

Dix held up supplicating hands, "It's true, Johnnie. Knocked himself cold. Anyhow, did he raise holy heck around here.  
Drove half my nurses batty. Brackett was nearly out of his skull, too, with him. That ankle had to be set in surgery. Morton said, "Surgery? O.k. Just so long as it's set and put in a cast and I'm out of here, tonight!! I work in a hospital,.. I don't need to be here when I'm hurt, too." She gave a high laugh.  
"Oh! The ego of the man." She was laughing so hard she didn't hear Roy's next question. "And what's that?" she said to him, breathless, sipping her coffee.

"Why is he down here?" Roy said, "After recovering in PAR,  
shouldn't he have gone to one of the floors?"

John added another one, "And why were those two guerillas in the treatment room with him?"

Dix broke down again, almost falling off her stool with mirth.  
"Oh! *gasp* His ankle was broken in four places.. He needed pins and that fixator to keep the bones straight for healing.  
Just picture what his reaction will be when he finds out that he has to stay here for twelve days.."

Roy and John looked at her uncomprehendingly.

"Brackett figures that that room is the most shielded place in the whole house. Those two monkeys in there are going to sit on him when he flies to pieces over the news. Don't want to undo all that nice surgery, now do we?"

Dix laughed hysterically, streaming tears, all the way down the hallway to her next destination.

John and Roy exchanged confused expressions. John emitted a small courtesy laugh. "Heh." His forehead furrowed.

Roy piped up, a grin growing, "You mean his temperment has gotten that far out of hand with his under rank staff? Dix was practically crying with glee over his predicament.  
I mean, I knew Dr. Morton was a little short in the bed side manner department.. but,.. how do you explain that?" He pointed to the door behind which slumbered the object of their discussion.

John shrugged, "I'd hate to see him when he was awake,  
that's for d*mned sure."

Roy looked at him strangely.

"You know.. With him dismantling that ankle thing and all."  
John elaborated.

Roy reflected, then they both spoke what just popped in their minds aloud.

"We'll send him a card."  
"We'll send him a card."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Dr. Joe Early had joined the two paramedics in the cafeteria.  
"You mean to tell me that you all bought this filly, sight unseen, based only on pure conjecture?"

John sputtered, expecting a tirade after his answer,  
"Well, I.."

Roy grinned evilly, "Johnnie did. I didn't." And he forked a bite of his salad, chewing enthusiastically, letting his partner sink or swim.

Early....smiled.  
"Good for you! Want some more coffee?"

John blinked. He stopped cringing. "Ah..yeah.. Sure.  
thanks..." He leaned forward, watching the doctor pour some into his mug. "You mean buying a share of this horse was a ...was.. a smart idea?"

"Of course," Doctor Early breathed grandly, "We all should have an opportunity to hang ourselves financially at least once in our lives. It helps to build character."  
And he bit into the hamburger.

Roy snorted, choking on his milk, partly in a laugh.

John shot him a withering look.

"Sorry." Roy offered, but he couldn't quite fight back a smile.

John stared and Roy dropped the grin only until John looked back at his food and changed the subject, "Thanks, partner..for your vote of confidence...."  
he said under his breath. "Say ah, doc.. heh. How's that gang member we brought in?"

Dr. Early wiped his mouth with a napkin, "Much better from what I hear. The neurothoracic surgeons are optimistic on a completely normal recovery. They found no spinal damage anywhere.

"Good, that's good.. but I wonder if that cop still gets it."  
he mumbled.

"What?" Joe asked.

"Oh Nothing.. just a pighead we ran into at that rescue.. heh."  
Johnnie sighed.

"Well, it's been real, doc. We have to go available.  
Johnnie?" Roy said.

They both rose, grabbing their walkie talkies.

"See ya fellas! And stay away from any more Chet Kelly scams.  
He's a sure drain on your wallet.." Joe called after them.

Johnny mouthed sarcasm silently parroting Joe's parting words.

Roy designated their status as available on his radio.

Dispatch replied, ##10 -4, 51.##

They started down the hall. They heard a disturbance in a room to his left so he investigated. "Hey.. someone's fallen or something in there."

Roy tried to stop him in vain, "Johnnie.. No... That's where Mort--"

But it was too late and the door was already open.  
Johnnie did an abrupt about face when he saw who it was but he wasn't fast enough.

"Hey, Johnnie Gage.. Come here....." a sleepy voice rasped.  
A clammy hand gripped his wrist and Gage's foot hit the bedpan that had most likely been the noise he had heard when it had fallen earlier. John steeled himself mentally.

Then he turned and faced the music. His instinct for self preservation lost out. ::All right. I'll go out joking:  
"Ah, Morton my man, what happened to your ankle? Slip on a banana peel?"

Roy kicked his partner sharply on the shin without wiping the idiot's grin he had on his face. Johnnie's smile tightened but he did not give in to the pain he felt. He looked confused.  
Morton only chortled, "Hghf!"

Roy stooped to picked up the empty bedpan at his feet to set it back on the foot of Morton's bed.

Morton blinked, "I took a free tour of my front steps via the Los Angeles Times. Thanks, Roy.."

John shifted off his throbbing leg to the other foot. "I thought the paramedics run sheet said you slipped on a Banan--"

Roy erupted into a huge fit of coughing jags. "Sorry, post nasal drip again. Damn fires. Always screws up your sinuses..." *Sniff*

It dawned on Gage, finally.... He mentally retraced steps. He spoke cautiously realizing the risk of Dixie's feared Morton reaction was a hairsbreadth of being triggered.  
"Ah.. it seems like everyone is falling and getting hurt today."

Roy felt an odd shiver of premonition at his partner's comment and he didn't know why.

Morton roused again, "What'ya boys, in for?"

John spoke while Roy fought chills.  
"Oh, there was a riot between two rival gangs at the stadium this morning. One gal pushed another guy over the side up on the second tier. He must've fallen sixty feet!"

"Thirty.." Roy added, sotto voce'.

"Ah,, thirty feet.. but ah,..they say he's doing all right. ..That he'll be ok.."

"Hmphhf." came Morton's reply.

Roy and John began to wonder when the powder keg would go off.  
Then..

"oh oh..." Morton trickled.

The door swathed bright light and the nursing supervisor flicked on the overhead light, heedless of making the three men squint painfully. She pushed in her TPR cart. "Good afternoon, Mr. Morton.  
Time for your temperature and vitals again..." she purred.

Morton covered his head with his covers. "Spare me,, Pleassseee..."

John and Roy were shocked. Gage pointed at Morton, doubting the fear he heard there at first. Roy just shrugged, but then he joined John pointing in pantomime to Morton and then looping a finger around his ear in the "crazy" gesture.

The nurse understood. "Oh, that's right. You two haven't heard the rest of Dix's counterplan yet for Mike here. " She smiled sweetly,  
"Double sedative.. Enjoy it while it lasts."

John's face lit up.

"Come on, doc.." she added a bit louder over his whimpers. "You want to get well don'tcha? Now let Guinine take your tempy. Come onnn."

John emboldened, piped chimed in.. "Yeah Mike. Why don't you be a good boy and let the nice nurse take your temperature. She might decide to go the other route if you don't cooperate.."

The blankets whipped off. "Gage! I'm warning you! One more cr--"  
His threat was cut off by the glass rod shoved into his mouth.

"Thanks fellas." Nurse Guinine peeped. "You know the old saying,  
Doctors make the worst patients."

"Glad to have obliged." John grinned, waving fingers at the muffled, miffed Morton.

Morton mumbled something unintelligable, shaking a sleepy fist.

"Bye, patient!" Roy teased.

The door closed on the sight and Roy and Johnnie laughed uncontrollably.  
They were squad bound when they could both think enough to speak without setting each other off again.

"Did you see his face?" John guffawed, "I tell you, Morton couldn't have looked any more trapped in a million years.!"

Roy wiped streaming eyes and spoke around his sore stomach. "Ugh.. I haven't been that uptight about anyone's personality fallout in a lonnngg while. And when Morton didn't do anything about your banana jabs.  
Oh!, that was too much..."

Johnnie coughed, "You know he was like that because of the medication Brackett and Dixie pumped him full of.. Those orderlies probably went offshift for the day so they extended his sedation period out a little longer than normal.. Oh,, what a move! I thought I was busted."

"Yeah.. It reminds me of the time when.." Roy said..

##BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP.  
Squad 51 with Engine 51. Man down. A half mile north of Rock Creek Canyon Rd. A half mile north of Rock Creek Canyon Rd. Time out. 15:48##

A wisp of the dread Roy felt earlier in Morton's room returned and seeped into the cab. It formed an idea in Roy's head. "Hey, isn't that Majorie Kelly's place?" he asked.

John put on his helmet. "I think so. " He thumbed the mike, "Squad 51,  
responding.."

##10-4, Squad 51.##

The engine's reply crackled over the P.A. "Squad 51, this is engine 51.  
Did I hear that right? That's Chet's family address. He's supposed to be there today, isn't he?"

John picked up the mike while Roy drove a little faster. "Yes, Cap.  
He is." he replied after a bit.

"Right. We'll be there in fifteen."

"Us, five minutes before that, Cap.."  
Roy flipped on their sirens and they both secured their chin helmet straps.

John said. "Chet old pal. What didja do this time?"

Roy glanced over at him, startled. He gripped the wheel more tightly.

-  
TITLE MUSIC

-  
The squad pulled up at the fork of two unnamed roads and the spicy canyon dust cleared before the two LA County paramedics.  
"D*mn!" John swore.. "Which way?!"

"I'll try dispatch.." Ry fingered the radio derisively. "LA, this is squad 51. Do you copy?"

##Go ahead, 51.##

"Could you 10-9 the address of our current response destination?"

##A half mile north of Rock Creek Canyon Rd.##

John shook his head in frustration, hanging his head out of his window trying to find a road sign or anything at all.

Roy spoke again, "LA, could you clarify? We're on the only road into the canyon at a Y junction. I don't see road signs of any kind.. Over.."

The dispatcher toggled some keys at his terminal and pulled up an aerial photograph of the canyon. ##51, which canyon rim are you located upon?##

John leaned out the window again, noting the angle of the sun.  
"West side."

"The west side rim, LA, over.." Roy told dispatch.

##Proceed down the right hand fork for 1/8 of a mile, 51. Aerial shows five buildings in that direction.##

John called out nervously, "Let's go.!!"

Roy spun gravel. They went. "10-4, LA. We copy. Moving down right hand fork.."

##51, Will advise Engine 51 of your 10-20.##

"Squad 51 , out." Roy finished. Hanging up the radio phone.

The narrow road opened out into a wide tree filled mesa. A barn in great disrepair stood in a meadow at the right. There was no sign of an off road.  
"Here?" Roy wondered.

John looked about. A glint caught his eye, unusual for a remote Californian canyon. New car painted metal. "There! on the left.  
about 400 yards down. It could be a parked car."

There was an automobile, half concealed in the tall grass, a creme colored station wagon.. Chet's. A little ways beyond, a paved driveway wound itself into a hillside. Roy sped up. It was a good two minutes before they saw the house.

John whistled through his teeth, "This is some spread!"

"Yeah." Roy breathed. He pulled up. There was a sign over the road.  
It said : KELLY-K RANCH ~~~~~~~~~~ "This has got to be it." John was sure now and his fear returned as they got out of the squad and assembled their gear.

They ran to the front side of the house. "Where is everybody?" John said.

"Don't know.." Roy said.

"You think that with a ranch this big, they would have sent people out to fetch us.."

They went swiftly to the main entrance. They both knocked loudly "LA County Fire Department!"

A heavy oaken door swung open.

A woman who could only be Chet's sister spoke up. "Oh thank god!"  
she sobbed. "I thought you'd never get here."

"Marjorie Kelly?" Roy began.

"Yes. Please, this way.. It's my brother. .."

A sick emotion hit both Roy and Johnnie as their unspoken dread was realized and given a name.

Majorie said. "We warned him! But he just wouldn't listen!"

"Easy Ms. Kelly. Just tell us what happened.." John said.

"A new filly came today, Chet,... he figured he could handle her.  
She tossed him!" She wrung her hands, overwrought.

"Where is he?" Roy asked.

"In back!!" Margorie indicated the sixth path to the right. She ran down the flowered, richly trellised way. "Hurry!!"

The three wound down the yard to a wooded area. They rounded another tight curve between some hedges.. to a riding corral next to a huge red barn. Near a perimeter fence, a demolished bird coop was strewn about.  
Marj called out, "They're here, Max!"

And older man peered over some of the broken boards but he did not stand up. Roy and John headed in that direction. "Agh. guys.. I can't stop all this bleeding.."

Chet was on his back sprawled six feet away from the outer fences inside the horse corral. His head lay awkwardly on top of a jumble of splintered boards. His eyes were closed and he was almost completely covered in tangled shed.

John and Roy vaulted the outer fence and handed over their equipment to the roof of the demolished coop, looking for a way to Chet. There was too much wood blocking the way.

The gear couldn't follow them in there.  
So Gage and DeSoto left all of it, just outside the ring of debris.

"Chet?! Can you hear me?" John flung away some tangled chicken wire, fighting to get gear and himself near Kelly.  
Chet moved a little, not opening his eyes. Gage clambered over the last of the debris. DeSoto beat him there.

Roy put on a smile he did not feel. "Hey, Chet.. How are you doing?"  
He put a grip on Chet's coratid artery, studying his face.

Chet stirred and coughed. "Eh, Roy? What took you so long?  
Where've you been?"

"Oh,.. joy riding.." John said, clearing more debris away so he could get closer to where Chet was lying. There was a lot of blood on the ground. It seemed to be coming from below Chet's waist. "...and you?"

"I..I decided to take a snooze under the trees, can't you tell?  
Oww..!" Kelly grabbed his leg.. "Something's somethin...cracked..!"  
I think I'm dying here."

John restrained him, nodding curtly to Max to keep up the pressure on the effected leg. "Easy now! Just take it easy.. We'll figure this out and find a way to get you out of here." He knew how close Chet's quip really was, deadly shock was closing the gap, fast. He knew that it would take more man power to bring Chet into the open where he could be treated. "Just lie still."

"I know.. I know that just as well as you do.." Chet gasped.

John peered under the makeshift dressing Max had made of his own shirt and was pressing against Chet's thigh, he quickly set it back.

"Roy, I think the femoral artery's been nicked."

Roy nodded grimly, taking a stethoscope out of the drug box and slowing picking his way through the debris again to use it on Chet. "Chet..Where else do you hurt besides your leg?"

Chet sagged limp. "Chet!" Roy dug a few knuckles into the bone in the middle of Kelly's chest and rubbed hard.  
Kelly jerked, driven awake again by the pain stimuli.  
"Huh?"

Roy repeated his question.

"N-No, where else really.. I.. I'm just a little..dizzy.. Listen,  
we've got to get out of here.. Cielo's a killer, something just made her snap right before I was thrown.. If she sees us, she'll trample you like she did me and this coop."

A shrill scream of anger pierced the air. It came from the far end of the pasture.. Staccato hooves paced nervously.

"There..." Chet gasped, "See that dust cloud over there?  
She's scented us.."

Marjorie glanced up in alarm from the outer fence, "Oh, no.  
Not again... Shall I get the rifle, Max?"

John thought hard.. "Just hold on here, everybody, Calm down.  
No one is going to shoot any horses. First things first. Cap'll be here in a few minutes . We'll let them handle her., O.K.?"

Chet began to pant with air hunger in a reflex he could not control.  
A symptom of severe blood loss.  
"But...you don't understand.. She'll charge!" Chet sat up, and hung onto Roy's shoulder, trying to stay upright.. "NO! It's dang--"  
He gagged in agony and nearly passed out. Roy caught his head as Chet fell back again locking all of his muscles around the pure agony erupting from his leg. "Ahhgg!"

From twenty feet away, Marjorie quailed, "Oh, Chet!  
Don't do that to yourself.."

"Hey! Hey! Chet..." John grabbed Kelly's face in a glove. "You're bleeding badly from your leg and all of this moving around isn't helping matters any! Now keep your cool.." John ordered. He pushed Max's trembling hands off of the gaping wound and pressed his own down firmly at a pressure point farther up. He didn't like the amount of blood he saw around him.

Chet gasped. He slung an arm over his shaking face.."All right..all right."

Roy took some vitals. "BP's 80 Systolic. Pulse 140." He looked at Max and Marj. "Listen.. Someone's got to show the engine crew where we are. And we'll need some blankets from the house."

John nodded, agreeing with the distracting tactic. The less Chet saw of his family's panic, the better off he'd be.

"...can you do that for me?" Roy asked..

They both nodded and Max crawled out of the debris pile, under the outer fence and together, they ran into the house and inside the rustic building.

Roy watched them enter the house.

Suddenly, Cielo Madre exploded from over the hill, right at the gap John had created for Roy and him to get to where Chet was lying on the shattered coop.  
Top speed.

"Ahhh!" John covered Chet with his body while Roy picked up a timber and brandished it over his head,  
yelling..

The infuriated filly drew up short twenty yards away.  
Her ears flattened against her skull. But she kept away.  
She was shaking her head and her skin was trembling in an odd way. John rose slowly back into his crouch and repositioned his hands over his pressure point on Chet's leg. He noticed the horse's strange behavior.."Hey, Chet.. Did you two run into any bee hives during your workout?  
That horse's coat is just crawling with hives and bee stings."

"I thought I heard something.." he winced as John bore down on his leg again, stopping the the feeling there along with the blood flow out of his wound. "nngg..." he closed his eyes.  
Roy's voice came close to his ear. "Chet?"  
he began quietly, not upsetting the horse in any way. "You hurt only in your leg, right? Not your neck or your back?"

"Yeah... " Chet moaned, "I'm sure everything bad is just there.."

"Ok,.. because we're going to have to move out of here before she gets any more bright bee sting crazed ideas.. and that means moving before the engine gets here."

Chet looked up and saw the horse glaring at him with a growing anger in her eyes. "Oh, wonderful.."  
His face was very pale and sweaty.

Roy indicated the outer fence. "If she breaks again,  
you're going to have to roll underneath that fence on your own. We'll try to ward her off you."

"Good luck." he croaked. He swallowed with a dry mouth.  
"uh,.. " his breathing shortened,.."..I..I think I'm going to be sick."

Roy and John eased Chet onto his side and held him. Chet vomited. John spoke, "Easy,, it'll pass. You're getting shocky and this sometimes happens."

Chet relaxed at the end of it, gasping.."Terrific..Hope it's over. "

"It is.." John felt Kelly's BP slip lower in the pulse hold he had on one of Kelly's brachial arteries, monitoring. It disappeared all together. ::Damn! His systolic's dropped to seventy:  
"Come on, Cap,.. get the lead out.." he whispered, lifting eyes to the empty yard.

Roy pointed towards the biphone near the edge of the coop pile. "I'll get Rampart." He crawled slowly over the wooden boards and under chicken wire to set up the aerial antennae and turned on the power.

John nodded, "You're going to have to risk it. Chet needs an IV, now.."

Never for a moment did Roy's eyes leave the filly's. She snorted and pawed dust up while she shivered off the venom from her many stings. He held the phone up to his face, shielding the receiver in his hands.

John began to gather up the half conscious Chet up by the shoulders, getting ready to pull him clear. He swallowed hard, watching the filly watch them.

Roy's lips moved. He spoke quietly to hail Rampart.  
"...rampart. this is squad 51. ...do you read...."

The returning reply boomed, "Go ahead, 51..."  
It was Dixie's voice..

John and Roy froze as the horse whipped in a full circle and shifted a defiant head in their direction. She snuffled loudly, catching the scent of the men. She trumpetted low in her chest.

Suddenly, she bolted low and fast, at them.

"LOOK out!!" John cried.

Roy abandoned the biphone and together, he and John heaved Chet Kelly gracelessly through the coop's tangles,  
ripping their own clothes in their haste to get away with him safely. Together.. they rolled Chet under the outer fence. Chet yelled aloud in pain when he landed, but he was safely on the other side.

Roy glanced back over his shoulder in fear.  
"Let's get out of here!" he shouted at Gage.

They vaulted the fence just as punishing hooves raked the air inches away from where they had been.

-  
At Rampart, Dixie frantically tried to raise the squad.  
Early looked up. "What happened?" as he entered with Dr. Brackett.

"I don't know. I was answering 51's rescue call when I suddenly lost contact.. I heard John yell. Then.  
nothing.."

Joe thumbed the board. "51, This is Rampart. Do you read? Over.."

More thuds, then a crash. The line buzzed static.

"Nothing." he said.

Dixie tried once more, "51, do you copy? What's your status?"

More static. No reassuring voices.

Brackett straightened irritably, "Dix, notify the fire department dispatch about this. I want to know what the hell is going on over there!"

--

Having silenced the red box, Cielo Madre then vented her fury on the other strange boxes left abandoned by her feet. Then she took off running around the far side of the barn.

---------------------------------------

The force of their momentum had flung Roy and John hard to the ground. Roy shook his head, clearing away stars. He recovered and saw Chet face down, motionless,  
a short distance away. "Chet!!"

John stirred too, climbing to his feet. "Roy?"

"Chet! Can you hear me?" Roy shouted again. He didn't move. Together Gage and DeSoto ran over to Kelly just as the engine crew flew across the yard with the O2 apparatus.

"Chet?" John called urgently. Roy and Johnnie rolled him over as a unit. A fresh blood stain discolored the grass underneath him and was spreading out slowly. His face was grayish looking. Roy covered the gash with his bare hands, bearing down on it.

John listened by Chet's mouth for breathing. Cap ran up and knelt by Chet's head, "We heard you ran into trouble through dispatch. Rampart got worried.. How is he?"

John frowned, straightening, "He's in deep shock, we had to get away from the horse as quick as we could and it's torn the femoral artery completely. Marco.. help him on the O2, will you? He's breathing too shallowly right now to do much good."

"Right.."

Marjorie and Max had returned only moments before with blankets. Chet's sister stood, transfixed, tears welling up into her eyes."What's wrong with him.?" she demanded. "Why isn't he awake?"  
Her brother's ashen color terrified her. "Tell me!"

Mike Stoker got up from the ground and led her away, trying to calm her down.

Roy spoke in a dry voice, "Cap, we've lost all of our equipment. Is the ambulance on the way?"

Marco nodded, giving Chet mask assisted ventilations in time with Kelly's own weaker attempts at breathing using the demand valve thumb button. "Last check, it's ETA was six minutes." he answered Roy.

Cap wiped his mouth. "Anything we can do?" he asked John.

"Yeah, go get a stokes and the engine cab's first aid kit. And the mast suit.. And the defibrillator..!"

Moreno went with him.

"Johnnie.. This isn't working.." Roy said, looking at his bloodied hands and a fresh welling making its way up around them. "How's his BP?"

"60 systolic.. I can barely get a carotid. Marco, start hyperventilating him. Last thing we need is him crashing on us. Go to 30 a minute and see how he does." Gage suggested.

Marco nodded, stepping up his delivery rate of pure oxygen into Chet's lungs.  
Cap and Moreno soon returned, laden with the mast suit case and the defib box.

Roy saw his equipment lying around in the sun just out of reach. He identified a few things that were still intact. "Maybe I can go back into the corral and get a hemostat or something to clamp off this artery. " he said urgently. His fright was growing.

John nodded.. "Marco.." He gestured. Marco relieved Roy at his pressure point while Mike took over the O2 vents without missing a beat.

Roy arose. Max joined him back by the corral, as Roy slipped on some gloves over his soiled hands, listening for signs of Cielo Madre's return.

Max tossed his burden of blankets on the ground, "You're not going back in there."

Roy shrugged, "Somebody has to. Chet can't wait for treatment much longer." He watched as Johnnie, Moreno, and Cap moved Chet onto the mast suit trousers and fastened it up everywhere but where the artery wound was. "They can't pump up that mast suit to buy him some time until I clamp off that bleeder first. If I can't get that clamp, nothing we do will do any good."

He ran back to the squad and got out the cab's fire extinguisher. He lugged it back with him.  
"Listen, Max.. Have you ever worked one of these before?"

"Sort of, once at work, for a safety test."

"Here's your chance to shine. This is simple. You pull out this ring here and just squeeze the nozzle, see?"

A puff of CO2 streamed out.

"I got it.."

"O.K, let's go.." Roy glanced over and didn't like what he was seeing by Kelly. Cap was seated and waiting with his jacket and gloves off over Kelly's chest which was now bare. ::Cap's getting ready to work if Chet codes.. Come on Chet.. Hang in there.:: Roy amended his snatch list to include an endo trach tube along with the hemostat, and dressings.

"Let's hurry.." he told the trainer.

Moreno had linked LA dispatch through a landline talkie into the ranch phone which Marjorie had threaded through the yard. Cap relayed vitals to Rampart at John's direction. Desperately ordered by Brackett, John finally got his authorization for the use of rotating tourniquets in an attempt to keep oxygen flowing to Chet's brain despite his critically low blood volume level. The EKG they had on the monitor was wrought with shuddering PVC's brought on by the blood loss.

It wasn't resolving into normal sinus rhythm, despite the tourniquets and the hyperventilations.  
John was worried, Chet wasn't even trying to breathe anymore, and John could do nothing else to help him.  
It was now entirely up to his partner to get that hemostat clip from the corral.  
"Roy... get that clip.. He's starting to cave.."

Cielo met Max and Roy at the perimeter of the fence with reddened eyes. She snorted, facing them. "You circle left, I'll go right. If she charges you, use the extinguisher. The vapor and the noise should spook her long enough for me to get that trauma box."

Max nodded, licking his lips. They climbed the outer fence, sitting on its edge for a moment. Then they started creeping forward towards the coop and the scattered medical equipment.

"Easy, girl.." Roy soothed. She charged. Max discharged a plume of vapor directly at her head. She reared.

Roy bolted for the equipment. He snatched up everything he came for. On a second thought, he ran over to the IV kit and started scooping up IV bags and tubing boxes.

"Come on!!" Max shouted, "She won't hold for long."

Roy grabbed the trauma box up again and retreated, shedding packets and meds along the way. He got outside the corral in seconds.

Max gave a roar and threw the extinquisher bottle itself at the beast. He rolled under the outer fence in the nick of time. Both were safe.

Max helped Roy carry his armfuls back to the others.

"Fancyfoot work, guys.." John grinned. The firemen gathered around in a concerned group as Roy knelt, biting off the paper wrapping of the hemostat. He probed the wound for the bleeder. He found it and clamped the torn ends. The horrendous outflow of blood there ceased.

Quickly, John and Roy pumped up the mast suit to its max levels. They got three IV's of D5W running full volume through Kelly's carotid arteries, the only ones not collapsed by Chet's basement level BP.

Roy held aloft his prize find he had gotten from the battered corral, a syringe of epinephrine, at just the right concentration, 1 to 10,000 dilution for a man Chet's size. He squirted its front load into the sky to dispel any air then added it IV push as fast as he dared.

John looked at Mike by Chet's head. "Is he breathing now?"

Everyone waited without moving for his answer.

Stoker nodded, feeling resistance beginning against his demand valve triggering, "Yes.. and he's pinking up."

Gage grunted, taking a BP. He smiled, "It's up, 90 over 60.." Marjorie and Max hugged each other.

The EKG settled into a normal beat moments later.

Cap was estatic. "Way to take it out of the woods, Kelly!!" he shouted, ruffling his unconscious crewman's hair affectionately. His relief was infectious.  
And everyone smiled for all they were worth.

"Come on you guys....Move!" Cap roared as he saw the ambulance attendants enter the yard.. "On the double..!!"

-  
"And the rest was easy..." John Gage said. "Once we were in the ambulance, Roy radioed ahead to dispatch to maintain contact with you guys via the C.B. radio in the driver compartment..."

He leaned back in his chair and stretched, a cheshire's grin on his face.  
Dixie nodded appreciatively, "And after another injection of stimulant, Chet did nothing else but improve.." she smiled. "You boys amaze me with the exciting rescues you find yourselves in so often. They make events around here seem like a walk in the park!"

"Now I wouldn't say that.." Roy countered, "What about that gang fight earlier today? All those cases came here, right?  
You must've had fun keeping them from killing each other."

Dixie laughed.

Dr. Early had been listening in while he ate his apple.  
"Say, How's Chet Kelly doing now? I heard from Kel that he lost almost 4/5th's of his blood volume in the field and didn't arrest. Now that's what I call one lucky b--"

Dix shushed him,.. "Doctor.. There are young ears here.  
Frankly,..mine. "

John sighed chuckling at the good natured banter around him, "We just heard. He's in recovery. The surgeons found no internal hemorrhaging apart from that right femoral artery. He will be up and around on crutches in about a week."

"Well, give my regards to him for me will you?" Early said, walking away.. "I've got rounds."

"Sure thing, doc.." Roy replied. He tapped John on the arm, "Maybe we should phone the guys and let them in on the good news."

"Ooo, yeah..., Well, gotta go, Dix."

"See ya fellas.."

-  
A few days later over lunch, the gang carried on lively conversation.

The B Shift was just getting off and the two crews shared their week's highlights. John gestured grandly, concluding his story.  
"And there we were, one crazed horse and a lot of smashed equipment.."

Gil chuckled. "You got us beat, Gage. The most I've ever totalled was my helmet, last year, in the McGuire warehouse blaze." He sipped his coffee adding,

"How much did it cost to replace all of the squad's gear?" Bryce interrupted.

"Plenty!!" It was Cap. "Chief McConnikee still won't look me in the eyes when I told him why I needed a complete refit inventory. I've been trying to live up to his expectations.. Really I've tried. But this oddball rescue has undone years of careful kissing up, ever since I was caught setting h-" he broke off, embarrassed about something.

John grinned wryly. "Cap you have to remember that he may NEVER forget that you set his hat on f--"

"Don't say it Gage! Now's that's an order!!"

John and Gil snapped dutifully into attention. "Yes sir..!"

Cap glared at them a second or two before he went through the double doors leading out of the kitchen. Gil let out long string of giggles he had barely managed to contain in front of John's Cap'n Stanley. "On fire?! You mean Cap torched that ol geezer's hat?  
Boy, he must have had a death wish or something."

John shooshed, trying to silence Gil to no avail. "Shh, He still might hear you.."

Gil was dying against the wall. John eyed him critically. "I gotta live with him, you know.." The glower faded into a smirk, "Yeah.. he pulled that when he was still a wet behind the ears cadet looking for a promotion a month early. McConnikee has a memory like an elephant!"

Gil was still tearing up, "W - What's he like?"

"Who?"

"M- McConnikee?"

"Oh, oh. oh. The old goat still dishes out holy h*ll come inspection day.  
And WE suffer the brunt of it. You should see Cap before one of these things. He's a basket case."

Gil laughed harder and started to leave. "Serves him right, Johnnie. See ya next week.." He left for the locker room.

"Take care, man.." John said grabbing a plate and piling on breakfast high.  
"Mornin.." he drawled.

"Did you hear?" Mike spoke excitedly, "Chet leaves the hospital tommorrow."

"All right!" Marco cheered.

"About time.." John nudged Roy's elbow. "I'll just bet he's sick of all those bedbaths, eh?" He sniggered evilly.

Roy waxed stone faced.

John's face fell, "Sorry I keep forgetting that you are a married man and can no longer appreciate the fin-" He trailed off, uncomfortably caught in Roy's baleful stare. He swallowed, "Forget I even said it." he sniffed.  
"Forget I ever even mention bed b-- Marco..! You look like a man who could use some more potatoes. Here, have some more. They're great!  
I try to eat some every w--" Marco was staring at his plate. John quit spooning out the spuds. A pile of them five inches high overflowed the edge of the plate, running onto Marco's fingers.

"OOps! Sorry, Marco, I---Here.., have a towel." John retreated from the table.

Roy chuckled, following, a bowl of oatmeal in hand. "Johnnie, you've got to ease up on all of that caffeine. You're gonna kill someone one of these days."

"Oh, Ha. ha." John dripped sarcasm, "Very funny.."  
he defended himself neatly, "So,..." he smacked his hands together.  
"When's the big day? For your trip, Roy?"

Roy acted as if he had smelled something vile. He spoke out of the side of his mouth, "Day after tommorrow.." he whispered.

"You're leaving when?" John said a little too loudly.

Roy leaped up from his chair, "Oh, come on Johnnie.. Shhhh! You know I don't want word of this spread around."

John basked in his success. "Ok. ok. Mum's the word." He looked around,  
bored. "I wonder what's on TV.."

He flicked on the tube.

##BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Station 51. Shed fire. 6560 Montezuma Road..."

Roy paled suddenly. "My god! That's my--"

He took off running. The implication of what he had said struck John with a sick weight. "Cap? Cap! That's Roy's place!"

"Wha?! Desoto's ?!! John, you drive!"

They left at a dead run.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The squad, squealing, slowed. Roy was out the door and into the yard before Johnnie could even bring the truck to a complete stop.  
Roy didn't pause to put on his overcoat.

"Joanne?" he fidgeted in a panic in the driveway. Then he took a hold of himself a little, looking around. "T-The car's gone. Maybe Joanne and the kids went shopping.." He ran back to the truck. The engine screeched, pulling up. The sirens faded. Cap stepped out of the cab.  
He smiled when he saw that the fire, was indeed, only involving a small backyard shed.  
He tried to alleviate some of Roy's stress, "When I meant you could invite us all to a BBQ, I didn't have this in mind, DeSoto.."  
and he grinned...

Roy didn't grin back.

Cap got serious, "Roy? What's in there?"

On the lot, was a gray two story structure. Its roof was under repair, only tar paper covered it with stacks of roofing tiles piled at one end. A half built porch surround the front door of the little house. A small garden shed ten feet from the house was totally engulfed in flames which threatened a nearby telephone pole.

"Roy!"

"What? Oh,, uh... I have about five pounds of termite repellent in there. And two five gallon jugs of gasoline.." his face furrowed,  
"And my BOAT!"

"Easy there, Roy, ah.. we'll try." Cap offered.

John had his coat on and he was trying to give Roy his.

"Johnnie..., I gotta know....What if... one of the kids?!" Roy looked stunned.

John made sure he had eye contact with his partner, "Go ask the neighbors. And Vince. He's over there." He called, "Vince!!"  
The big cop turned.

John urged, "Go ask him, Roy.."

Roy moved leadenly.

John noticed that he was still holding Roy's overcoat in his hands.  
"Ah,, R--?" He gave up, letting it fall to the ground.

He sprinted over to Mike and Marco, setting up the hydrant.

----

Roy was in despair. Vince had said he hadn't seen his kids. Roy cast about into the crowd.

----

A hose was dragged across the yard. Marco and Moreno twisted on its nozzle head.

"You men!" Cap directed, "Use a medium spray.. Protect the house!"

"Right, Cap!"

"LA , this is Engine 51. We have a burning free standing garden shed. It contains insectides and two cans of unexploded gasoline.  
Please notify the gas company to cut their service to the entire block. This fire might upgrade."

##10-4, 51. Will stand by.##

Cap surveyed the scene and noticed DeSoto shifting among the onlookers. ::Oh, well.:: he thought to himself.::He's gotta reassure himself that his family was nowhere near that shed when it went up. I'll let him.::

"Mike! Set up the second hose for the shed. I'll have Roy help you in a moment!"

----

On the outside of the firefighting trucks, Roy was only half scared.  
Inside, his reasoning warred, making him jumpy. Then he saw someone he knew. "Carrie!"

A slight, young girl clutching a teddy bear turned toward the sound of her own name. She gave a cry and started to run when she saw who it was who wanted her.

"Carrie! I have to talk to you.." Roy shouted. He easily overtook her. He kept a hand on her shoulder. "Carrie, you and my daughter are friends, right?"

She nodded. And started trembling.

"Are you scared?"

Carrie's face pinched and she began to cry without a sound.

Roy knelt down. "You don't have to be frightened.. I -I just want to know ab--" Roy paused, not wanting to frighten the tiny girl unnecessarily, "You and Jessica and Michael had a sleepover at my house last night.. Right?"

She squeaked, still petrified, in a soft voice, "Yes.."

"Do you know where Mrs. DeSoto and Michael and Jesse are now?"

Carrie suddenly cried harder.

Roy became alarmed, "Carrie? What's wrong?"

"I" she looked at the ground. "I was playing in the shed..I- I found the matches in the street and and they started the fire.." She rushed into Roy's arms, bawling, "I didn't mean it!" She cried in catching, wet sobs, "Mr. DeSoto, I knew... I knew it was wrong.  
Jesse and me, w--"

"Jesse?! Where is she?"

"She.." Carrie screwed up tight.

Roy held Carrie away from him gripping her arms firmly.  
"Did they go shopping?"

Carrie became quiet. Four fingers found her mouth.

He repeated his question. She studied the ground,  
then she nodded, "Yes, Mr. DeSoto."

"Thank you, Carrie.....Cap!! She says they're not home!" He turned to her and knelt again. "Carrie, Would you tell that policeman over there that I sent you to him? That he's supposed to watch you until the fire's out?"

Another nod. She ran off.

Roy sighed, returning to his company's engine. ::What a day,  
he thought, straightening his helmet.. ::My boat, torched!::

Mike handed Roy's overcoat to him, "Rough,eh?" he asked.

Roy nodded. He placed his jacket between his knees to hold it while he adjusted chemical guages. Cap called from across the yard. "Well, so much for that vacation, eh, Roy?"  
He grinned broadly..

*** ** ** ** ** *

* * * * * * * * * * *

* * * * * * * * * *

Every head ducked. One of the gas cans finally had enough.  
The shed sprouted a fire ball which sent a viscous black plume, high into the air.

John and Cap regained their feet and redirected their water stream onto the shed.

Roy winced. "Oh, well, I've always said I wanted to rip down that old shack anyway.."

Mike chuckled.

*** ** ** ** ** *

* * * * * * * * * * *

* * * * * * * * * *

The shed went again and this time, the telephone pole toppled.  
onto the house! It sprayed sparks. Embers fell and caught on the exposed tar paper on the roof. Stray bits caught on the naked timbers of the porch's virgin framework.

The house was threatened.

"Oh no.." Roy whirled back to the dials, connecting hose couplings to their ports rapidly.

"Stoker! DeSoto! On the double!!" Cap hollered.

Then a strange thing happened. No one saw it. A burning bundle of roofing tiles cascaded off the top story. It fell and hit the ground, splattering sparks. Several of these sparks wafted into a open basement window.

A colossal explosion ripped through the house's bottom story.  
It spewed columns of twisting fire from all of its foundation windows.

Every one was stunned. What had happened was a freak occurance. The furnace had blown.

"LA, We have a fully involved two story structure fire. Roll an additional unit to the scene. Advise the Power company to terminate power to both 65th Avenue and Montezuma Road!"

##10-4, 51.##

LA's backup call echoed in between the houses all the way down the block. A four tone sounded over the PA system.

Station 38 got called out.

"Mike, Roy!! Cover that shed!!"

Roy was whipping on his over coat when a Chrysler station wagon thunked over a curb across the street.  
It was Roy's wife. The overcoat dropped.

Joanne DeSoto rushed out of the car. "Oh my god, Roy!"  
she ran to him. Roy's son, Michael, followed.

Roy tried to reassure his family, "It's all right honey. You've got the kids."

Numbed, Joanne only sobbed. Then,

"Daddy?" Michael called out.

"Yes, Michael.." Roy answered his eleven year old son.

"Jesse didn't go to the store with us today. She stayed back to eat lunch over at Carrie's house."

"What?!"

Joanne started nervously. She put a hand to her mouth.  
"Roy, where is she?"

He whirled to the house.

"Roy!!!" A man's voice. It was Vince. He was hustling Carrie ahead of him, holding her arm. "Go on, Carrie.  
Tell the fireman what you told me!"

She started bawling.

Cap ran to the little girl. "Listen, honey.. We're not angry.  
We just need to know where Jessica went when the fire started."

Carrie wouldn't look at Cap, even when he hefted her up in his arms.

Furious, Roy looked at her, "Forget about the lying! Please,  
tell us!!"

She was crying weakly now, "I didn't mean to start it.. The match fell..and and..."

"Where?!!" Vince demanded.

Carrie jumped, She blurted in a rush, "She went to get kitty out!!"

Joanne screamed, "Jesse! My baby..!" She fainted. Roy automatically caught her and eased her to the ground. He made a small noise of pain in the back of his throat, checking her.  
"She's all right... Vince!!! Stay with her!"

Vince nodded, taking Carrie from the captain's grasp.

Standing, Roy faced the house. Cap knew what Roy was going to do.  
"No!! DeSoto!!" He missed catching him.  
Roy ran, fast. John noticed him, "Hey.. Where are you going? Wait a minute!"

"Jesse's in there!"  
"What?!"

"I've got to get her out! Jessica!  
John lunged and he and Roy grappled, "Are you crazy, man. You need a mask in there.. An over coat..!"

"Let-- me-- GO!!!" Roy heaved away, breaking free of John's hold doing his best racquetball court spin. He ran.  
John stumbled.  
Roy disappeared into the smoke. John ran towards the house. "Roy?!!"

Cap shouted aloud, "Gage! No! Get a mask and belt on.. Moreno,  
with him!!"

"But.."

"NOW!!"

Marco and Mike helped Gage and Moreno put on their apparatus,  
tying lifelines to them. Johnnie and Joachim tested their mask's seal patency. Someone tossed Roy's overcoat to them. Johnnie snatched it. Marco drenched the two with a fanning inch and a half as they entered the house. Greasy black smoke billowed out into the yard. The heat was oppressive. It pushed out in palpable waves.

On the street, Mike sat by Joanne's head. Vince crouched nearby. "Mrs. DeSoto?"  
Lying there, she moaned.

Cap flew to the cab. "LA, we've one or more victims at the scene. Respond with an additional rescue squad and ambulance."

##10- 4, 51.##

Cap shielded his eyes against the inferno, "Come on!" he hissed.

---------------

John stumbled over the front door landing. He couldn't see.  
"Roy?" "Jesse!"  
"Where are you?!"

The din of the flames was maddening.

-  
In the kitchen, Roy was blinded. Even on hands and knees, he choked.  
"Jesse!"

He crawled further along, heading towards a certain corner.  
"Jessica! Can you hear me?"

His hands struck a hard object. Pieces flew into his face. The litterbox!  
It would be here that Jessica would try to aim for first. "Jesse!"

He groped, and found a soft body. Soft fur. The kitten, it was dead.

--------------

John gasped. Behind him, Moreno had reached the limit of his hose's length. He tapped the back of Gage's jacket. Gage turned. Moreno made a cut throat shouted through his face plate.  
"All right.. Cover me!! Grab my lifeline. Give me a lot of slack. I'm going on ahead!"

Moreno shut off his useless hose He grabbed onto John's rope.  
"Ok, go!!"

There was very little flame. The smoke was ink in the air. John could feel the fire's heat seeping through the floor boards beneath his feet. "Roy?" "Jesse!"

----------------

Roy reeled, dropping the kitten. He was suddenly dizzy. A hallway opened to his right. "Jesse!"

The darkness ate up the sound. Then, ''Daddy?!" It was clear,  
unmistakable. Roy choked violently. It was getting very hard to breathe. He hugged the floor. "Jessica?! Where are you?"

No answer. "Jessica!"

"Daddy.....!!"  
"I'm coming!"

Roy's mind raced. He needed help. Part of the ceiling creaked above him. He faced the kitchen again."Johnnie I found her!! She's in h--"

A collapsing timber smashed into his face just then. Roy tumbled bonelessly.

----------

John froze in midstep. He thought he heard Roy to his left.  
"Roy? Where are you?" He got down onto his hands and knees, sweeping the hot carpeting. "Roy??"

He rammed a shoulder painfully into a frame of a door. His hand sank into tile. The kitchen! "Roy!!" He didn't hear anything except the popping of the flames.

John advanced, running a glove over his visor to clear away a film of soot. He saw a dark form. He reached. Whatever it was pushed and slid away from him when his glove hit it.  
"Aghh!" He looked. It was a dead animal, a young cat.  
"Roy!! Can you hear me!"

John was near exhaustion. He rested, sucking in huge lungfuls.  
How long had he been inside? Two minutes? Ten? He sank down to his belly and peered down a hallway. Some fallen debris blocked his line of sight. He shoved it away. Then he saw blue on the rust tiles in the smoke. A shirt!  
"Roy!!" He scrambled on all fours. It was him. Pulling off a glove, John felt for a carotid. It was there. And moist breath flowed across his knuckles. John looked up.. "Jessica?!"

The sound fled. Flames crackled, growing louder.

SNAP!!!! A rumble grew.

The ceiling started raining shards. John threw the coat over Roy and stretched out over him. He froze, breathing in tight painful gasps. The vibrations ebbed as quickly as it had come.  
John moved.  
He jerked twice on his lifeline and began lugging Roy backwards by the arms.

Moreno met John at the entrance into the kitchen. The heat grew intolerable. He helped John hoist Roy onto one shoulder in a fireman's carry and picked up his hose. A cooling spray steamed off their overcoats and hissed onto the floor. "Let's go!" John cried.  
"I got him!"

Slowly, they inched their way to the outside.  
Finally, John burst out of the smoke with his burden and into sunlight. Mike and Marco dropped their line to aid him.

"He's breathing!" John shouted "Take him!" They did.

John ran back into the flames.

-----

The overcoat slipped off onto the lawn and halfway to the street. Roy's shirt was only blackened and not burning.  
Cap had seen them coming. Already, he had set up the O2 and had spread out a foil blanket on the grass. They laid Roy on it, wiping away soot and cinders from his nose and mouth.

Joanne ran from her place on the curb to him. "Roy!"

Moreno hurried back to his place on the front door. He began to spray it down, watching for signs of Johnnie re- emerging with the girl.

Mike placed the respirator mask over Roy's face and began to demand feed him pure oxygen. Marco rechecked for a heartbeat.

"Roy..." Joanne knelt down and began to shake her husband. "Roy... Where's Jessica?"

Cap pulled her away, "Johnnie's getting her out right now! You've got to believe me.."

Joanne sagged in his grip and sobbed weakly. Cap let her go. She sat where she was and reached out, calling to her husband. "Roy...?" Marco held a four by four over the gash on Roy's forehead. "Roy!" she cried.

"Joanne.." Cap said, "He'll be all right. He just got knocked out, that's all. We're just aiding his breathing with the demand valve until he wakes up. He's ok."

She wept, lowering her head. Marco touched her arm. She looked at him. "Do you want to help?" he asked her.  
Joanne nodded.

"Here, hold this dressing tight, but don't get into Mike's way. O.K."

"Sure.."

Marco moved over. She took over applying pressure to the head cut. Mike glanced at her, "You're sure you're ok? " he asked again, carefully holding Roy's head back while he delivered the O2.

"Yes, I am. I just want my Jesse." She started weeping.

Marco sprinted back to support Moreno at the main hose.

-  
Inside, John crawled quickly back to the litter box. He went into the hallway beyond it. "Jesse!"

Five doors displayed kicked in the first one. It was the bathroom. "Jessica?!"

No answer.

Randomly, he passed by three doors tried the one on the end.  
It banged open revealing a child's room. Dolls!  
"Jesse! Can you hear me?!!"

"here!"  
Muffled. It came from the closet. John whirled and tried the doors.  
They were locked. "Jessica ! It's Uncle Johnnie ! Get up! Open the doors." John took off his mask and unbuttoned his overcoat.  
The door cracked open a little bit. John kicked it ajar. Jesse coughed. She was on her hands and knees. "Mommy! I want my mommy!!" She stumbled..

John caught her, "I got ya..." He wrapped her with him, inside of his overcoat. He stood, carrying her. "Here. Put this on your face..." He gave her his mask. She held it.  
"Breathe in!"

John put his helmet back on. He found the path leading to the outside.  
He tugged on his line, coughing.

The ceiling spat sections free around them. John choked, running, covering the girl's head with an arm.

They got out of the house..

-  
Moreno and Marco rose to help. "She's all right.. I got her.."  
He waved them away. The two fireman remained behind.

John sat Jesse down over by the silver blanket. She ran to her mom. Joanned enveloped her inside a big huge. "Jessica..My girl. Mommy's so happy to see you!"

"Mommy, the kitty's dead.." she trilled.  
Then Joanne simply cried over her.

-----------------------

John shed all of his apparatus. "Mike?"

"He's coming around."

Roy half moaned, half out. He didn't cough.

John looked at the little girl and turned her face in his hand. Her skin was very dirty, but not burned. Her crying attested to clear lungs. She was stable.

"Cap! Could you get the biophone and set it up?"

"Sure thing, pal."

Sirens wailed and engine 38 skidded in front of the house.  
More hoses were stretched. Vince helped Cap carry over the other gear.

A new voice cried out; a child's. "Mom?"  
Joanne turned. Michael peered fearfully out from around the corner of the engine. "Michael!!" Joanne held out her arms to her son. The boy hesitated when he saw his father lying so still.  
Joanne understood at once. "It's all right. They're taking good care of him. Daddy's going to be ok." she reached out again. Michael ran to her, crying. Joanne hugged both of her children tightly to her.

------------------

John didn't notice them. He got out his penlight and checked out Roy's eyes. "Roy? Can you hear me?" Roy remained unmoving.  
"He's out again." John glanced at Mike, "Is he pulling any air at all?"

"About one every three."  
Johnnie nodded, taking a BP. "Marco, could you get his actual respiration rate and his pulse?"

"Yep."

John pulled off his stethoscope and slid it around his neck. He picked up the bi-phone. "Rampart, this is squad 51, do you read?"

Dr. Early clicked on, "Go ahead, 51."

"Rampart, I've two victims of a wooden structure fire. Victim one's an unconscious Code I, Victim's two's a little child. She's about five or six year's of age. Conscious and alert....."

At the hospital, Dix bit her lip.."A code I? A downed fireman!"  
Early frowned.  
"51, Go ahead on victim #1."

"Rampart, ah, Victim one's Roy DeSoto. He's unconscious due to a blow to the head. He's also suffering from moderate smoke inhalation. He's got a weak breathing response.. We're giving him fifteen liters of O2 via positive pressure/ assisting. He has responded somewhat to ventilations. There's a large hematoma and laceration on his forehead.  
Pupils are equal and reactive."

##51, What are his vitals?##

John looked to his notepad, reading what both he and Marco had written down. "Vitals are : BP 100/74, Pulse 94, Respirations unassisted are at 6 per minute. Request permission to start an IV."

##Go ahead, 51. Start an IV of 500 ml D5W TKO. Give him .5 1/10,000 mg epinephrine IV push. Let's see if he'll take an interest in breathing on his own.##

"Ten four, Rampart, Victim Two appears to be very frightened but not at all shocky. No burns are evident. Do you want a set of vitals?"

##51, How's she perfusing?##

John looked down at Jesse who was still gripping her mom tightly in an embrace. "She's crying strongly, without coughing, Rampart, without distress."

##51, Supervise Victim two for any changes in respiratory status and use 4 liters of O2 when necessary. I want a new set of vitals on Victim one in five minutes. Transport both victims as soon as possible.##

"10-4, Rampart. IV. D5W TKO with .5 1/10,000 mg epinephrine IV Push,  
Victim one. Supervise pulmonary status, use four liters O2 on symptoms,  
Victim two. Vitals to follow."

##Standing by, 51##

John tore open an IV package and box of tubing. He strung it and got a line in and running. He handed the bag to Vince.

He drew out an epinephrine syringe. He looked to Mike. "Watch his pulse when this goes in."

Stoker nodded.

John injected the drug slowly into the IV port. A minute passed.

Mike spoke up, "I'm getting some arrythmias."

John checked Roy's carotid. "He's fine. A few odd beats with epi's ok."

Roy started coughing. Mike removed the mask.

Joanne reached out. "Roy?!" Her husband relaxed again and became still. Mike replaced the mask.

She looked up, worried, at Gage. John noticed her concern. He shrugged,  
"He's thinking about it.."

Joanne gave teary smile and a small laugh. She wiped away her running mascara.

Roy began breathing regularly.

------

John felt a tug on his sleeve. It was Jessica. "What's wrong honey?"

"My throat hurts and my mouth is all dry.."

John noticed the child's breaths had become a shade shallower and labored. "Trouble getting air?"

"Umm hmm.."

"OK. I'm going to give you some oxygen through a tube in your nose.  
It will get rid of that stuffyness you're feeling, all right?"

Jesse nodded.

John adjusted a nasal cannula around her head and brushed some hair out of her eyes.

"Will this make me all better?"

"Sure will. Now you go sit down by your mother, ok?" He poked her in the nose.. She giggled and nestled back into her mother's arms.

The radio crackled. ##51, what's the status on Victim #1?##

John picked up the receiver. "Rampart, Victim One's still unconsc--"

Roy sat involuntarily, sitting bolt upright, upsetting Mike's hands with the O2 mask. "Jesse!!"

John and Cap flew at him, trying to restrain him before the IV was torn loose. "Roy... Roy...!" John yelled. "You're out and on the street. Take it easy.. Jessica's right here!!"

Roy struggled, still muzzy.

-----------

Early was frantic, "51, do you read? Over?" It went ignored.

John and the others really had their hands full. "Roy! You'll tear out your IV! For Pete's sake... Do you want to scare her?"

The wild look on Roy's eyes faded and he slumped back down. Mike caught his head, so he wouldn't bang in on the ground. Roy's breath caught, he choked hard.. "Wha??" He voice cracked. Then he turned his head and saw his daughter in front of him. "Jesse?"

She ran to him.

John rocked back on his heels running a hand through his hair, "It's about time you woke up.."

Joanne chortled.

John angled an ear, he heard jarbles or something by his knees. "Ooops.!" He snatched up the landline "Ah, Rampart,  
Victim One's now breathing on his own. C-Color's returning rapidly. He moves about voluntarily without any signs of impairment."

"I'll say..." Cap said rubbing out a bruise he got in Roy's struggle to consciousness.

John started to laugh and he couldn't stop.

The landline to Rampart was strangely silent through the open line.

Then Dix's and Joe's laughter joined in.

FIN

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